The Cat that Learned How to Swim

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The Cat that Learned How to Swim
On Obong street, there was one cat called Arit. Unlike other cats that walked with pride, licked their bodies clean, and avoided water like a plague, Arit was a bit stubborn. Rain did not scare her. If a storm beat the zinc roof, instead of hiding under the bed, she would just sit outside watching the water drop from the roof like a cinema.

“See this one,” one old woman in the compound always shouted. “Is it a cat or a fish? Something is wrong with this Arit.”

But Arit did not care. In her mind, she kept reasoning, “Why are all of us afraid of water? If fish enjoy inside it, why can’t a cat? If I can conquer water, I will eat fish straight from the river, without begging humans for leftovers.”
One afternoon, she followed a little boy who was fishing tilapia near the river. The boy threw his net, fish shone under the sun, dancing like juju spirits. Arit hid near the grass, her mouth watering. Hunger worried her but fear held her chest.
She tested the water. One paw entered. The cold bit her like pepper. She hissed but did not retreat. Next thing, she pushed her whole body inside. Whoosh! The river almost swept her away. She clung to a root bending near the edge, coughing like a goat that ate pepper. Villagers shouted, “Ah! A cat is drowning!” But she refused to be ashamed.
That night, she climbed the roof of the fisherman’s house. She could not sleep. She watched as the fisherman paddled his canoe, balanced weight, and used his pole to fight the current. Night after night, Arit studied like a student preparing for an exam.
After some weeks, she started practicing in the water drum at the back of the compound. First, she learned to float, later she kicked her legs, and sometimes even blew bubbles. Chickens gathered, laughing.
A hen said, “What a wonder, see a cat wanting to turn into a frog.”
But Arit answered, “You will see. One day I will do what no cat has ever done before.”
One moonlit night, hunger caught her. No rats in the kitchen, no leftover fish. She was weak but determined. She walked back to the river. This time she entered a small canoe tied at the edge. She pushed it slowly, her heart beating, but she did not fall. She balanced with her tail like a rope walker.

Suddenly, she saw a small fish swimming nearby. She whispered, “This is my chance.” She dived. Splash scattered everywhere. When she resurfaced, fresh tilapia was in her mouth. The first cat in history to catch fish alive from the river.
Children who saw her began to shout:
“It’s a river-cat! It’s a mermaid cat!”
One little boy even sang, “Arit the swimmer, no cat can reach her.”

From that day, Arit was no longer ordinary. She trained steadily, learned diving, learned balance, even fishermen were shocked when they saw her paddling a canoe with her paw like a sailor.
But the surprising part was that Arit did not allow pride to carry her away. She still remained humble, still walked in the compound like a normal cat. If a child dropped food, she still meowed softly. But every evening, she sneaked to the river to sharpen her skill.

Lesson from the Story

This story is not just an animal tale. It carries a message that the things everyone fears are sometimes only chains we tie ourselves with. you just have to break free. Arit showed that determination breaks boundaries. Even if people laugh at you, as long as you believe, excel.

I invite @imohmitch @samuelbrilliant @promisezella to take part in this contest.